Cocoa and Convos

Chapter 2

            You dusted your hands off on your hands as you stood up. Red flames were dancing in your fireplace and satisfaction washed over you. The first step in having a nice home was creating a sense of warmth, and considering the mountain town you moved to, your fireplace would be constantly busy. Your house was all unpacked, but it didn't quite feel right. You knew what was missing. Sarge, your dog, sadly didn't move with you, all thanks to your ex-boyfriend who decided he could just take him. At least if you had Sarge, you wouldn't feel so alone in this new town.

The timer on the oven beeped, shaking you out of your thoughts. You made your way over to the kitchen and slipped on some oven mitts before taking out your pizza that looked perfect. Taking a quick sniff, you nodded your head. It was going to be delicious. Just as you had put a slice on a plate, a knock echoed through the house. Guess the pizza would have to wait.

You opened the door and were surprised to find the sheriff standing in front of you, charming smile on his lips and a plate of cookies in his hands. He wasn't in his uniform, instead he was clad in a pair of Carhart jeans and a plaid button up. His hair was softly wind-tossed and his eyes reminded you of a peaceful ocean.

"Oh, um, hi there, Sheriff." You said opening your door a bit wider. "What can I do for you?"

He smiled and wiggled the plate of cookies. "I made some cookies for you. Just a little welcome to the town."

Grabbing the plate from his hands you nodded your head. "Thanks. I'm sure I'll enjoy them." You remembered your pizza and invited Bucky inside. "Would you like some pizza? I just made some and I can't eat it all myself."

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to impose."

"I'm sure. Besides, it would be nice to have a little company."

He nods and steps inside. Looking around he notices a lack of family pictures or pictures of any sort really. He does see one picture on the mantle above the fireplace, it a picture of you and a German Shepard. You both look happy and Bucky smiles as he sees it, but then frowns slightly. It doesn't see like your furry companion made the trip with you. He enters the kitchen where you hand him a plate of pizza and he thanks you.

"What's your dog's name?" Bucky asks before taking a bite of his pizza.

"His name's Sarge. He's an old war dog." You answer before sighing.

"Steve's dog, Bentley, is a war dog too."

You smile. "Yeah, he's a real sweetie. Steve introduced me to him when he came over."

"If I may ask," He leans against the counter before continuing. "Why didn't Sarge come with you?"

Setting your plate down, you exhale. "Well, my ex-boyfriend is to blame. He took everything when our relationship ended, including Sarge."

Bucky frowned. "What a jerk."

"Tell me about it." You huffed. "But I'm hoping to get another dog soon."

"My buddy Sam works at the animal shelter the next town over. Those dogs are always looking for new homes, maybe you can try there. That's where I got my cat, Alpine." Bucky suggested.

That piqued your interest. "I'll have to check it out. And I'd like to meet this Alpine some time."

He chuckled. "Of course. He can be a bit much at times, but he's the best cat I could ask for. I actually have a few pictures of him on my phone." He pulled out his phone and you walked over to him and leaned close.

A fluffy white cat with gorgeous blue eyes like Bucky stared at you from the screen.

"Aw, he's so cute." You said looking up at Bucky.

"Yeah, so cute." He said looking down at you.

You realized you were closer to him than you thought, and you could feel a faint warmth radiating off of him, the scent of leather and pine needles wafting through the air. He was looking at you with a fond smile and heat crawled up your cheeks. You slowly scooted away from him and cleared your throat.

"Well, um, thanks again for the cookies."

Bucky swallowed slowly and ran his hand through his hair. "Y-yeah, of course. I should get going. Have a good night, Y/n." He said walking toward the door.

"You too, sheriff."

He turned toward you with a show stopping grin. "Please, call me Bucky."

"Have a good night, Bucky." You said giving him a soft smile.

Nodding, he exited your house and made his way to his car. You sighed and thought about the handsome sheriff and his kind smile. You gasped at your sudden realization. This sheriff was going to be trouble for you, and you didn't completely hate the idea of it.